Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Question 182: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the differences in the roles of the National Social Work Qualifications Board and the Social Workers Registration Board; if she will outline any remuneration and expenses received by each member of both boards in the years 2007, 2008, 2009 and to date in 2010; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42749/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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The National Social Work Qualifications Board (NSWQB) was established in 1997 under the Health (Corporate Bodies) Act 1961 and is the designated authority for the profession of social work in Ireland. As the Irish recognition authority for social work qualifications, the main functions of the NSWQB include the following:

awarding the professional social work qualification in Ireland, the National Qualification in Social Work (NQSW), to persons who have successfully completed a recognised course;

accrediting course that lead to the NQSW;

accrediting holders of non-national qualifications who wish to work in Ireland as professional social workers, when candidates meet the criteria.

The Health and Social Care Professionals Council (HSCPC) was established in March 2007 to implement the Health and Social Care Professional Act 2005. The Act provides for the establishment of a system of statutory registration for twelve health and social care professionals, including social workers, will apply to the twelve professions regardless of whether they work in the public or private sector or are self-employed and is the first time that fitness to practice procedures will be put in place for these professions on a statutory basis. The structure of the system of statutory registration will comprise a registration board for each of the professions to be registered, a Health and Social Care Professionals Council with overall responsibility for the regulatory system and a committee structure to deal with disciplinary matters.

The first registration board under the Council, the Social Workers Registration Board, has recently been established. Under the 2005 Act, the Social Workers Registration Board is charged with establishing statutory registration for all social workers. The object of the registration board of each designated profession in the 2005 Act is to protect the public by fostering high standards of professional conduct and professional education, training and competence among registrants of that profession. The functions of the registration board of a designated profession are to:

establish and maintain a register of members of the designated profession;

issue certificates of registration under section 41;

give guidance to registrants concerning ethical conduct and give guidance and support to them concerning the practice of the designated profession and continuing professional development;

monitor, in accordance with section 49, the continuing suitability of programmes approved by the board for the education and training of applicants for registration, and

make recommendations under part 6 with respect to sanctions to be imposed on the designated profession.

The Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 provides for the subsuming of the National Social Work Qualifications Board into the Health and Social Care Professionals Council. The appointment of the Social Workers Registration Board will now allow for the dissolution of the National Social Work Qualifications Board in advance of the associated Social Workers Register opening to accept receipt of registrants in the profession in 2011.

With regard to the remuneration and expenses received by members of both boards, no such expenses have been paid to members of the Social Workers Registration Board. Information regarding the remuneration and expenses received by board members of the NSWQB is currently being collated and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available.

Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Question 183: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the role of the Poisons Council; the number of times she has met the council for advice in each of the years 2006 to date in 2010, inclusive; the remuneration or expenses awarded to members of the council in each of those years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42751/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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The role of Comhairle na Nimheanna (The Poisons Council) is to provide advice to me or my colleague, the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in relation to any Regulations made under the Poisons Act and on any other matter in relation to poisons, their manufacture, storage, transport, distribution, sale or use.

The Council meets only as required and its last meeting was held on 11th March 2008 to discuss the making of the Poisons Regulations 2008. The Council does not employ staff and its members do not receive any remuneration. A total of €564.60 was paid in expenses to members who attended the last meeting. No other payments have been made during the years in question. I have not met with the Poisons Council during the years in question.

Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Question 184: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the role of the Advisory Committee for Human Medicines; the number of times the committee has met in each of the years 2006 to date in 2010, inclusive; the remuneration or expenses awarded to committee members in each of those years; if she will outline any funding allocated to the committee in each of those years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42758/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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The Advisory Committee for Human Medicines (ACHM) assists and advises the Board of the Irish Medicines Board (IMB) in relation to any matters pertaining to public health or the safety, quality or efficacy of medicinal products for human use which may be referred to it by the Board. The Committee advises the Board on matters relating to the proposed refusal to grant a licence or authorisation in respect of a medicinal product or class of medicinal products, or the manufacture or wholesale of a medicinal product or class of medicinal products for human use, on any grounds relating to the safety, quality or efficacy of the product. The Committee also advises the staff of the IMB on matters of public health, safety, quality or efficacy, relating to medicinal products for human use which are referred to the Committee.

Members of the ACHM are not paid a salary for sitting on the Committee. No exchequer funding is allocated to the Committee. The number of times the Committee has met and the expenses paid to Committee members by the IMB out of its own resources is outlined in the table below.

Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Question 185: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the role of the Advisory Committee for Veterinary Medicines; the number of times the committee has met in each of the years 2006 to date in 2010, inclusive; the remuneration or expenses awarded to committee members in each of those years; if she will outline any funding allocated to the committee in each of those years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42759/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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The Advisory Committee for Veterinary Medicines assists and advises the Board of the Irish Medicines Board (IMB) in relation to any matters pertaining to public health, safety, quality or efficacy of medicinal products for veterinary use which may be referred to it by the Board. The Committee advises the Board on matters relating to the proposed refusal to grant a licence or authorisation in respect of a medicinal product or class of medicinal products, or the manufacture of a medicinal product or class of medicinal products for veterinary use, on any ground relating to the safety, quality or efficacy of the product. The Committee also advises the staff of the IMB on matters of public health, safety, quality or efficacy relating to medicinal products for veterinary use which are referred to the Committee.

Members of the ACVM are not paid a salary for sitting on the Committee. No exchequer funding is allocated to the Committee. The number of times the Committee has met and the expenses paid to Committee members by the IMB out of its own resources is outlined in the following table.

Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Question 186: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the role of the Children's Act Advisory Board; the remuneration or expenses awarded to board members in the years 2006 to date in 2010, inclusive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42760/10]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Children Acts Advisory Board (CAAB) was established in 2007. Section 227 of the Children Act, 2001, as amended, sets out the functions of the Board, as follows:-

(a) on request advise the Ministers on policy issues relating to the co-ordinated delivery of services under this Act and the Act of 1991 (including residential accommodation and support services to children detained in children detention schools and special care units),

(b) publish guidance on the qualifications, criteria for appointment, training and role of any guardian ad litem appointed for children in proceedings under the Act of 1991,

(c) in consultation with the Health Service Executive, prepare and publish criteria for the admission to and discharge from special care units of children subject to special care and interim special care orders,

(d) subject to subsection (6) of section 29 (as amended by section 3 of the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2007) of the Act of 1991, authorise in writing a class or classes of persons representing the Board to prepare reports referred to in, and for the purposes of, subsection (5) of that section 29,

(e) give its views on any proposal of the Health Service Executive, pursuant to section 23A(2)(b) (inserted by section 16 of this Act), to apply for a special care order under Part IVA of the Act of 1991,

(f) using published sources, report on the level and nature of residential accommodation and support services to children detained in children detention schools and special care units,

(g) promote enhanced inter-agency co-operation (including the sharing of information) under this Act and the Act of 1991,

(h) promote, organise or take part in meetings, seminars, conferences, lectures or demonstrations (whether in the State or elsewhere) in relation to its functions set out in paragraphs (a) to (g), and

(i) conduct or commission research, and collect, maintain, research and evaluate statistics and other data, relating to its functions set out in paragraphs (a) to (h).

2. The Act provides for a Board comprising 12 persons. I am advised that fees paid to board members in the period 2008 to date are as follows:

2008 - €54,000. Paid in respect of years 2007 & 2008 at the rate of €9,000 per annum per person for 3 board members.

2009 - €24,300. Paid in respect of year 2009 at the rate of €8,100 per annum per person for 3 board members.

2010 - €23,085. Paid in respect of year 2010 at the rate of €7,695 per annum per person for 3 board members.

Expenses paid to board members in the period 2007 to date are as follows:

2007 - €13,972.20

2008 - €6,257.50

2009 - €2,660.90

2010 - €580.70.

In October 2008 a decision was made by Government to subsume the functions of the Children Acts Advisory Board (CAAB) into the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. This is provided for under the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2009 which recently passed Committee Stage in Dáil Eireann. The Bill is due to complete its passage through the Oireachtas shortly.

Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Question 187: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the role of the Health Research Board; the expenses and remuneration awarded to each individual board member in the years 2006 to date in 2010, inclusive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42761/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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The Health Research Board (HRB) is a statutory body under the aegis of the Department of Health and Children with a mission:-

(a) to promote, assist, commission or conduct health research to improve health and increase the effectiveness of the health services;

(b) to maintain, develop or support health information systems for the purposes of research and to provide the evidence for health policy and services;

(c) to liaise and cooperate with other research bodies in the State and outside the State in the promotion, commissioning or conduct of relevant research; and

(d) to liaise and cooperate with other information bodies in the State and where appropriate outside the State in the development and support of health information systems.

No fees or expenses were paid to any board member in 2006 or 2007. In 2008, four board members received fees of €13,875 (including arrears) and one member received €18,500 (including arrears). Expenses of approximately €225 were paid to one board member in 2008. In 2009, three members received fees of €8,400 and one member received €16,150 (including arrears). No expenses were paid to any member of the board in 2009. In 2010 (to date), three individual members have received fees of approximately €10,000, €6,500 and €3,500 respectively. One board member received expenses of €3,600 to date in 2010.